Leonid almost ran away, his nerves were strong and he was so rude. You can imagine what the real person involved, Grand Duke Constantine, felt in his heart. I'm afraid he was full of criticism.
But Li Xiao is very happy, think about what Grand Duke Constantine said that day in the Privy Council Square. Look at his heartfelt admiration just now, and finally look at his green face now, there is no pretense at all.
Is this pleasure good?
Li Xiao even wished that Leonid would walk slower or not try to dissuade Grand Duke Constantine at all, so that when this guy bowed down and bowed, he would show his true body magnificently, which would probably scare this guy to death!
【Ha ha ha ha!】
This was what Li Xiao was thinking. He tried hard to hold back his smile and pretended to be a gentleman who was indifferent to fame and wealth. But people who knew him well, such as Vishniak and Boris, could see that,
Someone's heart is already filled with joy.
Of course, the two brothers were actually quite happy in their hearts. They were happily watching the people eating melons. They wished they could have even more fun.
Grand Duke Constantine was really on the verge of tears. He never expected that today would be so unlucky. According to his original plan, he would visit the author A and then use the domineering charm of the Grand Duke of the Empire to convince the other party, so that the other party could bow to him.
Follow him around. Then he will have a senior naval technical expert on his side, and then he can have a good fight with the old eunuch Menshikov and settle the old debt in one fell swoop.
But now, that's not the case at all, okay? Even if he impressed Li Xiao with the domineering charm of the Imperial Duke, Grand Duke Constantine wouldn't dare to accept him as his younger brother, okay! He is holding back and killing someone right now.
Doesn't being someone's younger brother mean that you are going against your own father to get a kick out of him?
Grand Duke Constantine is not tired of life, nor does he have a hobby of seeking death. He will never do such stupid things. What's more, he knows very well that even if he has the domineering charm of the Grand Duke of the Empire, this little dwarf is not so easy to impress!
Grand Duke Constantine knew very well that his cousin had been a stubborn donkey since he was a child and hated their whole family. How could he accept an enemy as a friend and sell himself to join them?
Therefore, his so-called perfect plan was really in vain, which meant that his visit today had no meaning other than becoming a laughing stock and being ridiculed by Li Xiao and others.
Immediately, Grand Duke Constantine's face became unusually ugly, and he felt like turning against him on the spot.
At this critical moment, Li Xiao stepped forward to save himself and his friends: "Kostya, what do you want to talk about when you come to me? Are you also interested in naval modernization?"
These words instantly curbed Grand Duke Constantine's rebellious and ruthless heart, causing this thoughtful Grand Duke to constantly weigh the gains and losses, make calculations, and struggle, and remained silent for a long time.
At this time, Li Xiao spoke again. He made an invitation gesture: "Then come in and talk! It's very cold outside. Even if you don't have anything to say, it's not too late to have a cup of hot tea to warm yourself up before leaving!"
Grand Duke Constantine still didn't speak. He scanned Li Xiao again, then walked in with difficulty.
Grand Duke Constantine's choice made Li Xiao secretly relieved. He was really worried that this man would get angry and walk away, which would be a bit bad. Now, although Grand Duke Constantine didn't express anything and his face was still ugly, he remained.
This will explain many issues.
"Boria, take out the Darjeeling black tea you bought last time, and the box of cookies from Viscount Petrovich's house. Grand Duke Constantine likes cookies, so he must use the best!"
Boris was shocked and didn't understand why Li Xiao was so "enthusiastic". He saw it last time in front of the Bronze Horseman statue. The relationship between the two cousins was in a mess. How could they become like a family again in the blink of an eye?
?
Boris was stunned and just about to ask what happened, Vishniak behind him kicked his calf without explanation and urged: "Don't be stunned, idiot. Hurry up and get ready. Your Excellency the Grand Duke is a distinguished guest and cannot be neglected."
!”
Boris left with confusion, while Li Xiao and Vishnyak enthusiastically welcomed Grand Duke Constantine in. So why were they so enthusiastic?
The reason is very simple. Li Xiao and Vishniak are not idiots like Boris. Although they won a victory before and although they just defeated Mesadov's conspiracy, overall the situation is still extremely difficult for them.
Adverse.
To put it bluntly, the strength of Li Xiao and the others is too vast compared to the strength of the enemy. It is basically a duel between an adult professional boxing champion and an underage polio patient. The balance of victory completely tilts towards the opponent.
They don't see any possibility of a comeback at all.
In this extremely bad situation, it is very important to divide and disintegrate the enemy and unite all the forces that can be united to strengthen ourselves.
And Archduke Constantine is obviously the one who can be united with. Yes, this Grand Duke, like his father and brother, hates Li Xiao very much, and they all want to kill him quickly.
However, the interests of him and his father and brother were not completely consistent. The Grand Duke was ambitious and single-mindedly seeking a higher position and greater power, all of which his father and brother could not fully satisfy him.
Neither Nicholas I nor Crown Prince Alexander wanted to have someone who could threaten the imperial power, even if that person was his biological son or brother. As long as Grand Duke Constantine did not give up his ambition, the two of them would always be on guard against him.
With one hand, he must always suppress his ambition.
From this perspective, Grand Duke Constantine actually had a hostile relationship with Nicholas I and Alexander. However, this hostility was hidden deeply and covertly, and could not be revealed until the critical moment.
But whether it is Grand Duke Constantine, Nicholas I, or Crown Prince Alexander, they all know in their hearts that they have potential conflicts of interest. Therefore, this pair of father-son brothers is also a plastic father-son brotherhood. As long as core interests are involved, it is definitely
Everyone wants to turn against each other.
There is not only a hidden haze between father and son, but also the conflict between Grand Duke Constantine and Menshikov. The old eunuch greatly hindered his money-making plan and did not take him seriously.
He held the power of the Admiralty and never let go of it, leaving Grand Duke Constantine unable to do anything he wanted to do and show off.
This is also a matter of deep hatred, isn’t it?
In this way, Archduke Constantine's enemies are in a sense the same as Li Xiao's enemies. In other words, the two sides have a basis for cooperation. Although this basis is very weak and loose, if there is a basis, they can
Talking about cooperation is nothing more than a trade-off and exchange of interests, isn't it?